Up early and behind the wheel for another day. We thanked Remy and wished him and his family all the best. We waved goodbye to him as he was repairing the gas pump with borrowed parts from an abandoned outpost down the road.
FROM VICKI:
A little over an hour down the road we crossed into the Yukon Territory. There are two welcome signs, the first covered in stickers, the second more clean. We met Jim when he spotted us taking pictures of the one covered in stickers. He was on his motorcycle whizzing by us on the highway…until he saw us stopped at the sign. He quickly made a U-turn and came back so he, too, could take a selfie with the Yukon sign. We started talking and asked him where he was from. “Georgia”, he replied. “Where are you going? “Alaska, Prudhoe Bay.” “On a motorcycle?” “Yep. I read a story about a guy going from the most northern part of the United States you can drive to, to the southernmost point you can drive to, the tip of Florida. I decided to do the same.”
He made stickers with his own personal emblem, to place on the signs along the way. He already had put one on the sign at Dawson Creek. He put another on the Yukon sign alongside the hundreds of others. He also had a personalized license plate made that matches the logo on the stickers. “That is for later down the road,” he said. We took a picture of him in front of the Yukon sign with his camera for him and with our camera for us. With wishes for a safe trip, we parted ways, only to see him again down the road at the more official ‘Welcome to Yukon’ sign, only we were the ones to do the U-turn this time. Again, we took pictures, bid each other safe travels, and off we went.
Somewhere along the line we asked about his wife. “Oh, I send her postcards, and she is flying into Fairbanks to meet me for a week.” Always hoping to cross paths again, we bid him adieu. It would not be the last time we saw him.
We arrived at Watson Lake, Gateway to the Yukon, and the very famous sign post forest there. Guess who showed up? Big Jim from Georgia. And lo and behold here he was with his custom license plate made special for the occasion – his wife’s suggestion. We talked about where he would stay that night and asked if he had a campground in mind. “Oh no,” he replied “I thought about that but how much more stuff could I load on this” he said pointing to his motorcycle. “I have reservations at a cabin tonight. I hope it is nice. I am staying at hotels along the way…driving as far as it feels right. Sometimes I wake up early since it is light so early, and just decide to start going. So I go.” I followed him into the “forest” as he searched for a place for his plate, there weren’t many vacant spots. We took pictures again and again parted ways. Fran and John weren’t too far away so I connected up with them. As we began to leave the area to head to the visitor’s center Jim was climbing onto his bike. We said goodbye, he took a picture of John and I, wished us safe travels and said “maybe our paths will cross again.” There are lots of motorcyclists making this trek. We see many of them every day, rain or shine. I pray they all make it home safely.
Psalm 121I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From whence shall come my help?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip; or your guardian to sleep.
BACK TO FRAN:
A couple hundred miles later we stop at a rest area with great views of the Nisutlin River and bay, and the Nisutlin River bridge. Across the bridge is the small community of Teslin. Here the Nisutlin River flows into Teslin Lake, which is 86 miles long and averages two miles wide. The bridge is the second longest span on the Alaska Highway and like the Peace River Bridge, it has metal grating for the bridge decking. Talk about hard to drive on! The signs say slippery when wet or icy. It’s just plain slippery, period. We stop for fuel in Teslin and Vicki and I visit a wonderful little gift shop while John waits impatiently in his truck. The shop is run by a very sweet and personable owner who carefully wraps each purchase with tissue paper and ties a ribbon on it. She also is very Canadian and says “eh?” a lot, which makes us giggle.
A few more hours in the saddle driving along beautiful Teslin Lake and then later crossing the Yukon River. We reach Whitehorse, Yukon and, after a worrisome search, finally find a place to camp for the night at Robert Service campground. More on Mr. Service later.